Haley was blinded in his left eye as a child due to a botched operation. According to biographer John Swenson, Haley later adopted his distinctive spit-curl hairstyle to distract attention from his blind eye. The spit-curl caught on as a 50's style signature, although Haley and others had worn the hairstyle much earlier.
In 1946, Haley joined his first professional group, a Pennsylvania-based western swing band called The Down Homers run by Kenny Roberts. It has often been reported in musical reference works that Haley's first professional recordings were made with the Down Homers on a pair of singles released in 1946 by Vogue Records. This was later debunked by Roberts and others, stating Haley had already left the group by the time the singles were made. In the early 2000s, however, a set of 1946 radio recordings by the Down Homers were discovered and Haley is definitely present as he is identified by name and sings a solo number "She Taught Me to Yodel"; these recordings were commercially released for the first time in 2006.
After gaining experience with the Down Homers, Haley set out on his own, forming several groups such as the Range Drifters and the Four Aces of Western Swing. With the Four Aces, he made a number of regionally successful country music singles in the late 1940s for Cowboy Records while working as a touring musician and later a radio DJ at WPWA. (Many of Haley's early recordings from this period would not be released until after his death.) After disbanding the Four Aces and briefly trying a solo career using the names Jack Haley and Johnny Clifton (as chronicled in the biography Sound and Glory), Haley formed a new group called The Saddlemen in either 1949 or 1950 (sources vary as to the exact year); this new group recorded for several labels, including one single for Atlantic Records, Haley's first exposure to a major national record company. In 1951, Haley was signed to Dave Miller's Philadelphia-based Holiday Records and began to change musical styles, recording cover versions of "Rocket "88"" (previously recorded by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats), and in, 1952, "Rock the Joint", previously recorded by several bands including Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians. (By the time of "Rock the Joint", Haley had graduated from Holiday Records to Miller's larger Essex label.) The relative success of these recordings (both sold in the 75,000-100,000 copy range in the Pennsylvania-New England region) convinced Haley that his new and as-yet officially unnamed hybrid of country and rhythm and blues could be a commercial success.and some of his family lives in oklahoma and there is a road named after his family.
I want a little girl
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a girl that's all alone,
A little girl to fall in love with me.
I want a little girl, she may not look
like the kind in a story book,
But if she can cook she'll suit me to a tee!
She doesn't have to wave her hand,
And I wouldn't even care
If she didn't wear none at all!
I want a little girl to have a lot,
I would give her anything I've got
For a little girl to fall in love with me.
She doesn't have to wave her hand,
Or dress in fancy clothes,
And I wouldn't even care
If she didn't wear silken hose!
I want a little girl to have a lot,
I would give her anything I've got
For a little girl to fall in love with me.
In "I want a little girl", Bill Haley expresses his desire for a companion, a simple girl who is all alone and needs someone to love. He is not looking for a girl who is glamorous or fits the ideal image from the storybooks. For him, it is about finding someone who is a perfect fit for him, and if she can cook, all the better. He does not care much about the way she dresses or if she wears any clothing at all. He desires a girl to love and cherish, and he has lots to offer her if she falls in love with him.
Through these lyrics, Bill Haley is expressing his longing for someone who he can call his own, someone to share his time with and to whom he can give his all. The song's simple melody and lyrics resonate with listeners, creating a sense of longing for the same kind of connection. Furthermore, the song represents a shift in both music and society. In the 1950s, rock and roll was viewed as a subculture; listening and dancing to this music was a way for young people to rebel against societal norms, such as gender relations and traditional family values. Bill Haley's song speaks to a new generation, challenging traditional gender roles and the idea that love comes in one perfect package.
Line by Line Meaning
I want a little girl to call my own,
I am looking for a young woman who will be exclusively mine to love and care for.
Just a girl that's all alone,
It would be ideal if she is currently without a partner, so that I may step in and fulfill that role for her.
A little girl to fall in love with me.
I hope to find someone who will reciprocate my feelings and develop a romantic relationship with me.
She may not look like the kind in a story book,
I am not particularly concerned with her physical appearance matching societal expectations or stereotypes.
But if she can cook she'll suit me to a tee!
Her ability to cook well is important to me and would make her an ideal partner.
She doesn't have to wave her hand,
I am not interested in someone who makes grand gestures or tries to impress others with their actions.
Or dress in fancy clothes,
I am not looking for someone who values material possessions or dresses extravagantly.
And I wouldn't even care if she didn't wear none at all!
Even if she chooses to dress modestly or not at all, it is of no consequence to me.
I want a little girl to have a lot,
I want to provide for her and give her a comfortable, happy life.
I would give her anything I've got
I am willing to sacrifice and work hard to provide for her and make her happy.
For a little girl to fall in love with me.
Ultimately, my goal is to find a young woman who will love me in return and be my partner in life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK RADICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThaiThom
It makes me nostalgic for a time I never lived in.
@robertovaldez7925
Cristian nodal
@SoulllessStary
Feel the same way it’s pretty weird but I like it ya know
@theprofessor3684
Probably heard it in a past life
@tazionuvolari8142
It makes me nostalqic on 2010
@paolaoviedo137
/vvvghffff(ffwrc
@Windows-ie6th
Hey everyone 100 years from now we’re all dead now enjoy life while you’re young !
@stealthghostbr1801
Makes sense
@ryabryab2676
thanks for making me have an existential crisis
@fiftiesonly9579
Don’t give me warnings about death I’m only 17....